Plane Box

Several months ago, I bought a vintage Stanley No 45 Combination Plane manufactured around WWI. I bought this plane to be a ‘user’, but it is in excellent condition and deserves to be taken care of. Unfortunately, it has been living in a cardboard USPS Priority Mail box, which isn’t exactly the best way to store a tool of this quality.

Last year, we gutted a ramshackle closet in our laundry room, and I salvaged a bunch of 3/4” low-grade pine some previous owner of our house had installed. This pine was junk … I just hate to haul anything to the landfill that might be useful. I planed it to 5/8” to get rid of the paint and trimmed it down to get a clean edge.

I used the salvaged pine to build five open-top storage boxes for the shop, then decided to build this box to house my Stanley No 45.

I don’t throw anything away … the stain is Danish Oil (Watco Golden Oak) that has been sitting on the shelf for about four years, the plywood top and bottom were scraps from another project, and the top-coat is some left-over water-based poly. The only out-of-pocket expense was the hardware, and that was under $10 at Menards.

—Gerry

-- Gerry -- "I don't plan to ever really grow up ... I'm just going to learn how to act in public!"

Nice job. I have two of those planes (long story, don’t let my wife know). Have made one box already, need to make a second one this summer. It’s a lot of fun learning how to use the 45. Roy Underhill uses one in his show from time to time but only as a plow plane. Want to do reeding with mine.

-- The only difference between men and boys is the price of their toys.

Nice work Gerry. A handsome box for a great tool. The hardware you used really compliments it nicely. I read a good article about setting up that type of plane by Mario Rodriquez in FWW mag. a few years ago. It seemed a little difficult to set up. What is your experience with it?

The No 45 can be a little tricky to set up … so far all I have done with it is grooves and rebates, but I intend to use it for beading as well.

I haven’t gone thru the type study on it yet, but this plane came with a set of 2 wooden boxes containing a total of 20 cutters. That would suggest it was made between 1896 and 1909. However the main body and sliding, adjustable skate have a stippled pattern, which would place it around WWI. It is possible the cutters actually belonged to one of the earlier models.

—Gerry

-- Gerry -- "I don't plan to ever really grow up ... I'm just going to learn how to act in public!"

I have an old no. 45 that was handed down from my grandpa to my dad to me. One of the most treasured tools of my shop. I don’t know why, but a bead formed by one of these just looks better than one put on by a router. Great job on the box.

-- StevieP ~ Micheal Tompkins - you were not here on earth long but left a giant mark on us. RIP Brother